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800 visitors at the test camp
Many participants of the test camp also took the opportunity to attend the 33rd Material Flow Congress – held for the first time in Dortmund – under the direction of Professor Johannes Fottner. A total of around 800 visitors came to Dortmund's Westfalenhalle to view approximately 100 innovations.
With my back against the wall
The shift to rail freight through the Alps has suffered significant setbacks recently. According to BLS Cargo, the main culprits are the dilapidated German infrastructure and the numerous line closures and construction sites along the north-south corridor. This is also impacting personnel policies.
Kion and Siemens together in a parallel universe
Kion will be the first company in Europe to use Siemens' new simulation software " Digital Twin Composer " , thereby also seeking a degree of independence from the US market, where NVIDIA has so far been the dominant solution for merging the digital and real worlds in smart warehouses.
Columbus's "egg"
Now Linde MH also offers an expanded series with an integrated lithium-ion battery: The major advantage, according to the manufacturer, is the increased space in the driver's cab, which is up to 35 percent above the industry average, and the fact that the footwell has grown significantly with the elimination of the traditional battery compartment.
“Best of Intralogistics” in the test camp
As part of the Test Camp Intralogistics and the International Intralogistics and Forklift of the Year (IFOY) Award, the preliminary certificates for 2026 were presented in Dortmund by Jan Drömer, Chairman of the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Section, to the 17 nominees who will now go into the final round.
SVTL meets in a historic setting
The general assembly of the Swiss Association for Temperature-Controlled Logistics will take place on May 8th Lenzburg Castle and , in addition to the usual agenda items, personnel management, modern advertising for skilled workers on social media and the question of whether humanoid robots will one day be helpful .
MAGA in the approach path
German technology remains highly regarded when it comes to rapid material handling, the elimination of weaknesses, and service quality. Following successful projects in Oklahoma and Texas, the steel trader " Steel and Pipe Supply " (SPS) in Kansas City once again relied on Kasto saws and storage systems.
Rent warehouse equipment instead of buying it
Bito is launching an offensive with an economical alternative for companies that want to re-equip, expand, or temporarily supplement their warehouse and production areas, but don't want to tie up their capital long-term: renting instead of buying is the motto. The advantages – especially in " dynamic times " – are obvious.
«Kanpai» with sake on the pharmaceutical chain
Logistics provider Yusen is presenting an expanded global platform for the healthcare sector at LogiPharma in Vienna, where companies such as Novartis, Bayer, Takeda, and hospital supplier UCB are currently participating. The platform focuses on the professional delivery of specialized healthcare solutions.
Streamlined logistics
Coop's own rail connection for urban logistics in Zurich, streamlined logistics vehicles and the outsourcing of all operating room logistics in a cooperation between the Seeschau Clinic and the Swiss Post are the projects that are entering the final sprint for this year's Swiss Logistics Award from GS1.
National H2 Strategy
National H2 Strategy
Fig.: Hydrospider
At the logistics cluster in Basel at the end of October, the focus was on "green logistics" and the role that hydrogen could play in this context. Basel could thus become Switzerland's hydrogen hub. However, a draft proposal from the Federal Council last week suggests that this may still take some time.
Until a European hydrogen network is established and global production is ramped up, the report "Hydrogen: Overview and Options for Action for Switzerland," published last week, that Switzerland's hydrogen demand will have to be met through domestic production. Despite intensive efforts by companies such as Rhenus Port Logistics to promote the use of green hydrogen in the region, timeframes of up to ten years are being discussed.
Basel transshipment hub. Photo: Logistics cluster / HKBB
The report examines questions regarding the origin, transport, and framework conditions for market ramp-up of hydrogen. It is intended to provide the basis for a national hydrogen strategy, which the Federal Council plans to present in 2024.
Hydrogen is currently used primarily as a raw material in industrial and chemical processes. In the coming years, its importance will increase significantly, and it will be used "particularly where no other renewable alternatives exist." Examples include the generation of high-temperature process heat, land, air, and sea transport, and seasonal energy storage for electricity production. However, the "reconversion of H2 into electricity" is inefficient. Currently, assessments are underway to determine future hydrogen demand in Switzerland.
Domestic H2 production. Photo: Hydrospider / SLA 2021
Until a European hydrogen network is established and global production is ramped up, hydrogen can be produced at existing power plants or by industrial companies that use the hydrogen directly on-site or transport it further. Storage will require "large gas storage facilities, which do not yet exist in Switzerland"—or the hydrogen will be converted into liquid synthetic energy carriers. In the long term, however, imports from the EU and third countries are likely to be more cost-effective than domestic production, so the share of hydrogen imports is expected to increase steadily.
The report states that demand for hydrogen in Switzerland will increase until 2050. However, compared to other European countries, it is expected to be lower, as Switzerland has less heavy industry and fewer thermal power plants, and its need for hydrogen as a raw material is also relatively small.
National indicators. Source: Prognos AG
Medium-term demand is expected to have to be met primarily through domestic production until 2035. Therefore, domestic hydrogen production must be ramped up over the next ten years, and reliable domestic demand must be ensured. It is therefore up to industry, associations, and energy suppliers to clarify the quantities of this energy carrier that will be needed in which sectors in the future, and what the plans are for expanding production capacities and building and operating electrolyzers. The federal government is supporting this process with existing energy and climate policy instruments, as well as with the development of a national hydrogen strategy for 2050, which is expected to be completed in 2024.
Photo: SLA 2021/Inoveris
With long-term, higher demand, Switzerland will be dependent on imports. The conversion and expansion of the relevant power lines should be planned and expedited now. According to cautious estimates, the transport and distribution infrastructure in Europe could be sufficiently developed by 2035 to allow imports into Switzerland. The Federal Act on a Secure Electricity Supply with Renewable Energies, the Climate Protection and Innovation Act, the revision of the CO2 Act, and the legislation accelerating the production of renewable energies all provide incentives for developing a domestic market.
H2 development. Source: Prognos AG
For the "national hydrogen strategy," which – as mentioned – is to be presented in the second half of 2024, further framework conditions are currently being examined that could support the development of a hydrogen market in Switzerland. These include – likewise – ensuring Switzerland's connection to the future European hydrogen network.
